Bathtub seats are widely used for babies, the elderly, the disabled, and other individuals for a convenient and safe place to sit while showering. A problem experienced with the use of bathtub seats, however, is the relatively large amount of space that such seats require. Another problem is the inability to store bath and shower supplies and easily access such supplies. Numerous bathtub chairs have been proposed in an attempt to maximize space available in a bathtub and to improve utility of the chairs, but none have addressed storage issues.
Although many of the prior art bathtub seats have achieved varying degrees of success, problems have nevertheless been experienced with the use of such bathtub seats. For example, to maximize the space of a bathtub by using a bathtub seat that folds up, the bathtub must usually be altered structurally in some manner to accommodate the seat. Such alterations usually involve drilling holes through the bathtub walls for bolts which are utilized to secure the bathtub seat to the bathtub whereby the seat is permanently fixed to the bathtub.
While connecting the bathtub seat to the bathtub in this manner ensures the seat is secured to the bathtub and takes up little space when folded up, there are situations in which it would be desirable to be able to remove the seat completely. Further, this type of bathtub seat does not allow the user to easily access bath and shower supplies while in the seated position.
Another known bathtub seat involves use of a removable platform seat mounted onto the top of side walls of a bathtub. Although this reference addresses the problem of removability, it does not address the functionality problem of the bathtub seat that is seen in prior art.
To this end, an improved bathtub seat has long been needed which provides functionality and which is quickly and easily installed in and removed from a bathtub. It is to such an improved bathtub seat that the present inventive concepts are directed.